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Vintage Chart

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The majority of inexpensive wine is intended to be drunk within 6-12 months (reds within 2 years). However, most fine wine will improve with age when stored correctly.

This chart indicates the quality of recent vintages (on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the best). It will also indicate when a wine is ready to drink and those which have the potential to improve further.

Key:  K = Keep (will improve),   D = Drinking now,   P = Past its best,   10 = Outstanding

  1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Red Wines                                  
Bordeaux (Médoc) 9D/K 9D/K 10D/K 5P 4P 4D 6D/K 8D/K 9D/K 7D/K 8D/K 7D/K 10K 8K 8K 9K 9K
Bordeaux (Right Bank) 9D/K 9D/K 9D/K 5P 4P 5D 6D 7D/K 8D/K 7D/K 8D/K 7/DK 10K 8K 7K 8K 9K
Burgundy (Côte de Nuits) 9D 8D 9D 5D 7D 8D/K 5D 9D/K 8D/K 6D/K 7D/K 9K 8K 7K 9K 8K 7K
Burgundy (Côte de Beaune) 9D 8D 9D 5D 7D 8D/K 5D 9D/K 8D/K 6D/K 8D/K 9K 8K 7K 9K 8K 7K
Rhône (Northern) 8D 9D/K 9D 5D 6D 5D 6D 9D/K 9D/K 8D/K 9K 8K 7K 8K 6K 6K 6K
Rhône (Southern) 7D 8D 9D 5D 5D 6D 4P 8D/K 7D/K 6D/K 9K 9K 7K 8K 6D 7K 6K
Spain (Rioja) 5D 6D 7D 8D 7D 5P 6D/K 9D/K 7D/K 6D 8D/K 6D/K 6D/K 8K 6K 6K 8K
Italy (Northern) 8D 9D 10D 4D 3D 7D 7D 7D/K 8D/K 9D/K 8D/K 8K 8K 8K 5K 8K 8K
Italy (Central) 9D 6D 10D 8D 5D 7D 7D/K 9D/K 7D/K 10D/K 7D/K 8DK 7K 8K 6K 8K 9K
Australia (Barossa) 6D 6D 9D/K 9D/K 6D 7D 8D 7D/K 8D/K 6D 10K 7K 7K 10K 9K 7K 8K
White Wines                                  
Bordeaux (Graves) 8D 8D 6P 6P 6P 6D 7D 7K 8K 9K 9K 8K 9K 8K 7K 6K 6K
Bordeaux (Sauternes) 9D/K 9D/K 9D/K 4D 5D 4D 5D 7D/K 8D/K 8D/K 9K 8K 7K 9K 7K 8K 6K
Burgundy 8D 8D 8D 5D 9D 6D 6D 9D 8D 7D 8K 7K 8D/K 7K 8K 6K 8K
Alsace 9D/K 8D/K 8D/K 5P 5D 6D 6D 8D/K 8D/K 8D/K 7D/K 9D/K 7K 7D 8K 7K 7K
Other                                  
Vintage Port N/A N/A N/A 8K 6K N/A 9K N/A N/A 8K 5K 7K 10K 6K 7K 10K N/A
Vintage Champagne 9K 9D 10D/K 4P 6D 4P 3P 8K 10K 8K 9K 8K 6K N/A N/A N/A N/A